75 | Live Airbnb Coaching! | Ashley Wilson

Is there something you know now that you wish you had known months or years ago that would have made you much more money?

Well, why not learn from the paths of others who have done this work? We may not be able to turn back time, but we can pass on that knowledge to help others speed up their journey! Enter Ashley Wilson. Ashley’s blog is At Home with Ashley, where she writes about home decor, DIY, and decorating on a budget. She has a short-term rental in Florida called Pink Palm Hideaway, and another coming up this fall in Utah called Fairview Cottage. We’re going to give her some coaching on how she can increase her earnings for her property, which should help all of you figure out what questions you need to ask and where you might need to start tweaking things.

Using your title effectively:

• Playing with your title may help to attract people who are looking for something specific in their stay.
• If you’ve just upgraded your wifi, or you’re nearby something notable, you can call that out directly in your title.
• Put the most important keywords at the front of the title.

Adding copy to photos:

• Use writing on your photos to help draw people in. Don’t get too fancy, but give people some details to help fill out their vision and experience.

Adding distance to landmarks/attractions:

• One of the most common questions a host will get is “How close are you to X?”
• You can screenshot walking directions from Google from your property to specific locations to both visualize the proximity and give guests and accurate (and specific) count.

Horizontal photos VS vertical:

• Square or vertical photography tends to do better on Pinterest or Instagram, but Airbnb really values horizontal photography much more.

Increasing revenue:

• Increase your pricing until you hit around 80% occupancy rates. It’s okay if you lose a few bookings by raising prices because you will make the same amount of money with less work.
• Upgrading beds can easily lead to a more luxury feeling and allowing more guests to stay.
• Having an additional pet charge is expected and can make you extra.
• Make sure you are competitive with your cleaning fees.

Resources:

• athomewithashley.com
• @athomewithashley
• @pinkpalmhideaway
• Ashley’s Airbnb: Pink Palm Hideaway + Fairview Cottage
• smartbnb.io
• #STRShareSunday: @lacasitacacao